Aussies triumph in WT20 opener

The result: Australia 5-165 (Healy 48, Mooney 48; Riaz 2-25) defeated Pakistan 8-113 (Maroof 26, Sohail 20; Schutt 2-13) by 52 runs at Providence Stadium, Guyana

The match in a tweet: AUSSIES WIN! Fantastic all-round performance with the bat, ball (and gloves)! A 52-run win over Pakistan to kickstart #WT20 

The hero: Alyssa Healy stole the show, first with the bat and then behind the stumps. Healy’s 48 from 29 set the tone for Australia’s batting innings, the wicketkeeper batter making an aggressive start when she struck a huge six down the ground from the fifth ball of the match. She found the boundary five times in 10 deliveries to race to 31 from 16 after three overs, continuing her recent outstanding form to take Australia to 0-58 at the end of the Power Play. But just as she was racing towards what would have been her third T20 fifty in four innings, Healy managed to pick out the fielder at long on, departing for 48 off 29 in the eighth over.

Then with the gloves, she was involved in four dismissals and assisted in a fifth. The first came when Omaima Sohail was racing along on 20 from 11, Healy’s sharp glovework perfectly complimenting an outstanding throw from Delissa Kimmince to run out the Pakistan No.3. Then, she held on to a caught behind to end captain Javeria Khan’s innings on 9 (14), stumped Nida Dar from the bowling of Wareham and picked up a second catch, again from Wareham, removing the freewheeling Aliya Riaz for one. She put on the icing with a second stumping in the final over, this time off Megan Schutt. 

The support acts: Mooney’s 48 (39) and Meg Lanning’s 41 (34) helped the Australians to 5-165, ensuring Pakistan would need to pull off their highest-ever T20I run chase to upset their higher-ranked opponents. Mooney was dropped on two and made a more tentative start than Healy, but upped the ante when her opening partner departed, also falling just shy of her milestone, caught on the boundary for 48 (39). Skipper Lanning, elevated to no.3, looked just as home at Providence Stadium has she did during Tuesday’s warm-up match, finding the boundary three times and clearing it once – with a glorious lofted cover drive – on her way to 41 (34).

With the ball, Schutt was miserly first up with just five runs scored from her opening two overs during the power play, while she also collected the scalp of opener Ayesha Zafar. She returned at the death to collect a second, finishing with figures of 2-13.

The consolation efforts: Riaz was the best of the Pakistan bowlers, picking up the wickets of Healy and Lanning in her 2-25, while Sohail’s aggressive start to her innings was a promising sign from the recent debutant, who is playing just her fourth T20I.

The next stop: Australia and Pakistan both have a rest day on Saturday before the next lot of Group B matches on Sunday, with Australia to meet Ireland at 4pm local (7am Monday AEDT) after Pakistan take on India at 11am local (2am AEDT).

Australia: Beth Mooney, Alyssa Healy (wk), Ashleigh Gardner, Meg Lanning (c), Elyse Villani, Rachael Haynes, Ellyse Perry, Sophie Molineux, Delissa Kimmince, Georgia Wareham, Megan Schutt

Pakistan: Nahida Khan, Ayesha Zafar, Umaima Sohail, Bismah Maroof, Javeria Khan, Nida Dar, Aliya Riaz, Sana Mir, Nashra Sandhu, Sidra Nawaz (wk), Anam Amin

2018 ICC Women's World T20  

Australia squad: Meg Lanning (c), Rachael Haynes (vc), Nicole Bolton, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy (wk), Jess Jonassen, Delissa Kimmince, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Elyse Villani, Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia Wareham

November 9: Australia v Pakistan, Australia defeated Pakistan by 52 runs

November 11: Australia v Ireland, Province Stadium

November 13: Australia v New Zealand, Province Stadium

November 17: Australia v India, Province Stadium

November 22: Semi-finals, Sir Vivian Richards Ground, Antigua

November 24: Final, Sir Vivian Richards Ground